Floating-crane.



A. BODE. FLOATING SHANE.

APPLICATION TILED AUG. 26, 1909.

Patentd Feb.8, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 ifitaiises A. BODE.

FLOATING CRANE.

APPLICATION run we. 26. 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ll'ilfiil? STATES PATEIQT @FFlCE.

ALFRED BODE, OF- HAMBURG, GER-MANY.

FLOATING CRANE.

To a]! whom it may concern:

lle itknown that: l, Ari-into Bonn, engineer, a subject of the German Emperor, :uul A resident of llrtinourg Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Floating Cranes of which the following is ii Slhi-(flllCzitiUll.

The llHLH'LlOH relates to crane-ships, and pnlllt'tllttll) to floating cranes which will he seaworthy anrl which may be moved any desired distance from their usual moorings; also. to crane-ships which are adapted to transport smaller vessels whose range of operation is less than that ot' the said craneship.

1n floating cranes as heretofore usually constructed. the flouting bodies are designed to not solely support-s for the cranes, which are arranged on the decks of comparatively low ontoons. The center of gravity of the. entire mass in such flouting cranes, is naturally situated at it considerable dist-anceahove the level o the. waiter, and as, moreover, such lioatin' bodies have n comparatively shallow (trait, it follows that such cranes are very likely to ctipsize wl'ienever any considerable disturbance of the water arises. Vessels of the kind referred to cons ntently cannot he removed to any great (listitnce from. their usual moorings, as they must he in :1 position whenever the weather outlook appears threatening, to take shelter at some previously known place where their safety cannot be endangered by a too rough Now the present invention obviates this 'iszulvantuge by so constructing the floating body of the crane as to remler the crane seru worthfeyeu when a high sen is running. This is effected by arranging the greater part of the 'lrmnen'orl; of the crane together with the elevating mechanism and the counterweight requisite to iinpzirt lateral stability to the ship. in the interior of the hull, with the result that the height of the center of gravity of the entire unis-s of the craneship tloes not exceed thttt permissible in order that the entire structure may remain sennorth).

The present invention, also, has for its object to arrnngv the crime,stru -lure in such a manner that horizontal forces :1re n0t transmitted to the l(l walls and tie-cl; of the ship; and, further. to allow for the carrying upon the cruneship of Li number of snntller 3 independent. hips. as subunit-me boats and l supporting frame-n the torn: of {)Yzufw a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 28, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910. Serial No. 514,808.

the like, which are transported to the place where the are to he employed anti then plncetl in the Water by the hoists in the crane-ship; and, after use, are again placed on the vessel.

The crane may be constructed either as :i revolving crane, or 115 a stationary crane. If the crane is of the ievol ing type, it may either he provided with El rigid, external supporting framein the form of u p 'rztniitl having two three or more sides, in tut: interior of which the column carrying the jib turns; or. its construction mug be such that. the Clttii-flzll7tt3 which supports the jib surrouznls and rot-rites upon 1*. column rigidly secured within the ship. In either case, the entire winding mechanism together with the counterweight may he lt'iczit'e-il close to the ship's bottom, so that the vessel remains see.- worthy even under the most unfavorable contiitions.

The invention is illustrated in the accompartying drawings in which- Figure 1 shows a crane. in which the colinnit supporting the crime jih is rotated, tin-3. Fig. :2 shows it crane in which the framework supporting the cram jib is rotated about a column secured within the ship. F 3-6 show :1 crane ship with special features for the trz nsport of submarine hunts.

bnnilztr characters 0t reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several \IQWS.

T he outer suppo ting frame may of COllY G be so constructed as to form part of the vessel u. The upper part L of the turning illllit may ll) of an iiesi 'etl type. It Inn). for instance. he ltl'UYlt'lHl with :1 iii 0' that can be drawn in. or with an obliquely or horizontall arranged jih tlntt may he rigidly connected with the rotatable purl I), and be provided with a trzit'eler, or, it. may he constructed in any other suitable nntnner. h'hould the crane be rigidly connected with the ship and so constructed as to he inrzipm hle of rotation, it is most advantageous that the winding zueclnmmn lie arranged tlireoly on the bottom of the vessel 11.

The es ential feature of tie .-onstru -ziun consist in the fan-t that the frameworksup porting the crninis i c-amt suli tnmially within the interior of zhe hull. o that. the crane. passing through all tlw (to-ks. mtumls tiownwartl to thrbottum of the. ship. The crane may he provitlt-tf with -.i righl external having two, three or more sides in the interior of which the column carrying the jib turns, or its construction may be h.;t'll that the crane-frame rotates upon a .column f rigidly secured within the ship. in either case the arrangement is such that the horizontal forces are not transmitted to the sides, or deck of tlievessel.

A ship provided with one or more cranes arranged ta described may serve a floating work-shop for repairing other ships: and it can alsube employed for transporting heavy iezfes of machinery ordnance and the like.

t may, moreover. be employed to raise by means of its cranes. smaller independent Ships, as submarine boats and the like. and to stow them either on deck and in the hold for the pur )ose of transporting these ships, the range pt operation of which is less than that of the crane-ship; to the place where they are to be employed. The hull of the l crane-ship must in this case of course be suitably constructed to enable the ships taken on board to be properly stowed. For this l urpose the roomsto stow the submarine;

oats may, for instance, be constructed as shown in Fig. 3 in such a manner that they can be brought in communication with the water by doors in the bottom, so that the boats can be brought to the water and be taken up f1 um beneath by the crane through the bottom of the ship. The doors whichlose the openings in the bottom may consist o ral ieces fitting together lengthwise, the doors ing in the form of watertight hollow bodies, so-that in consequence of their buoyancy only little force is necessary to more the doors. The dimensions and the wei' hts can be chosen in such a manner that by letting water into the doors or into the rooms for the oats. the doors will open auto-' matically and vill also close automatically in pumping the water out of the interior of the said doors.

In the vessel 11 which carries the crane 7). a room is separated in the after part by waterl tight bulkheads in which two submarine bouts g and It may be stowed, the one over 5 the other. During the transport the boats;

restin known manner on removable or folding supports; and. in the form shown. the doors are formed by two leaves '1' and I; being fastened with hinges to the ship. The leaves E can be moved in various: ways as by means of steam. electric or hydraulic power, or by L pumping water in or out. Instead of stowing the submarines in the t after end of the vessel. they might also be} stowed in the forecastlc. i If the crane-vessel is to transport submarine boats whose weight and dinn-nsious sur- 1 pass the normal capacity and outreach of the crane structure necessary for other pur- 1 poses, then over the pit containing the boats a trestle Z of iron-structure with winding.

mcclnmism m i.- erected. 'ihis trestle is constructed in uch a manner that the jib ot' the crane will rest on it when in its lowest posiion. In this manner. when itsv end r sts upon the trestle, the jib is no more a projecting arm, but a beam on two upports, and can be constructed much lighter than ivould otherwise be necessary. The boats, ni'ther, may be held at two or more places, the trestle being also provided with a hoist, and the hoolt's can be closer to the boats. The distance of the. hook from the boats would otherwise. be very great. were a boatt be held at more than one place by means I of auxiliary ropes rrom the single book .-u

pended from the jib of the crane.

Floating crane vesels according to this invention may, of course, be constructed to carry one crane only. or a plurality of cranes.

I claim:-

1. The combination with a seaworthy Yer eel, of a crane, and a suitable supporting frznm-work and operating mechani m for said crane. the same eing located uh.-tantially within the. said vessel and supported by the bottom thereof only, whereby no .lltbmS are at anytime communicated to the. sides or to the deck of said vessel and the center of gravity of the entire 1ua. of the crane-ship is sutliciently lowered to insure the stability of the. same.

2. The combination with a seawortiiy vessel, of a revolving crauestructure and a jib carried thereby, a rigid column surr unded by said crane .-tructure, supported by the bottom only f said vessel and pa -ing through the deck or decks of the znne to carry said revolving crane at ruct he and upcrating mechanism for said crane. the ame heinp located.substantially within the said \CraSQl and supported by the bottom thereof only, whereby no llc 0s are at any time conununicatcd to the Sides or to the deck of I said vessel and the center of gravity oi' the entire mass of the crane-ship is sutlicieutly lu\\'crc( l to insure the stability of the v ame.

3. The combiuationwvith a seawortby \esad, of a crane, a suitable ,supportin framework and operating mechanism for said crane. the same being located substantially within the said vessel and supported by the bottom thereof only. whereby no stre x-es are at any time communicated to the sides or to the deck of said \'(.\-Ll and the center of gravity of the entire mass of the crane-ship is sutiicicntly lowered to insure the stability of the same, and means within the reach of aid crane to retain a .ship or ships of less range of operation than the said crane-ship.

4.11) a cranwship: a crane: a v uitable supporting framework and operatin; mechanism for the same. and located substantially Within the hull of aid ship; and a compartmentprovided with a communicai z i tion to the sea, and means to open and close the said communication.

In a crane-ship: a crane; a suitable supporting framework and operating mechanism for the same, and located substantia ly within the hull of said ship; and a compartment within the reach of said crane, provided at the bottom with a communication to the sea, and means to open and close the said communication.

6. In 5, crane-ship: .a revolving crane structure, and a jib carried thereby; a suitable supporting framework and operating mechanism for the same, and located substantially within the hull of said ship; and a trestlecarried by said ship to support one end of the jib of said crane structure when the same is in its lowest position.

7. In a crane ship: a revolving crane structure, and a jib carried thereby; a suitable supporting framework andoperating mechanism for the same, and located substantially within the hull of said ship; a compartment provided with a communication to the sea, and means to open and close said communication; and a trestle carried tion to the sea, and means to open and close said communication; a trestle carried by said ship, located transversely with respectto the length of the ship and over the said compartment, to support one end of the jib of said crane when the same is in its lowest position; and winding mechanism carried by said trestle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to the specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED BODE.

Witnesses: 7

' Enxnsr Hi L. Mmnrnxnorr,

Or'ro W. PBLLMRICH. 

